The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued an apology on Saturday for an error during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, where South Korean athletes were mistakenly introduced as North Korean. As the South Korean delegation traveled down the Seine River in Paris, they were incorrectly labeled with North Korea's official name: "Republique populaire democratique de Coree" in French and "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in English.
The IOC expressed deep regret in a statement on its official Korean-language X account, saying, "We deeply apologise for the mistake that occurred when introducing the South Korean team during the broadcast of the opening ceremony." This blunder elicited strong reactions in South Korea, a nation renowned for its cultural and technological advancements, which remains technically in conflict with the nuclear-armed and economically struggling North.
South Korea's sports ministry conveyed its regret in an official statement, noting the error in the introduction of the South Korean delegation as the North Korean team during the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Jang Mi-ran, the second vice sports minister and a 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion, has requested a meeting with IOC president Thomas Bach to address the issue. Additionally, the sports ministry has urged the foreign ministry to strongly protest to the French authorities.
The National Olympic Committee of South Korea intends to meet with the Paris Olympics Organising Committee and the IOC to express their protest, seek preventive measures, and submit an official letter of protest in the name of the delegation head. Meanwhile, North Korea was accurately introduced using its official name. Tensions between the two Koreas are currently at a low, with North Korea strengthening its military alliances with Russia and sending balloons carrying trash into the South, prompting South Korea to respond with K-pop and anti-regime messages from border loudspeakers and the resumption of live-fire drills near the demilitarised zone.
